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Journalism of Courage
Move over Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and all the others who have traded on their fame to sell a perfume. There will soon be a new name on the counter: Yeslam.
The recognition factor may seem low, but it is probably better than bin Ladin, first proposed as a name for the scent. Back in pre-9/11 days, Yeslam bin Ladin, a half-brother of Osama, hatched the idea of bringing out the perfume and a line of other luxury items under the bin Ladin brand. (Most of the family favours that spelling, he says, to the terrorist’s ‘‘bin Laden’’.)
‘‘Bin Ladin is a respected name that has been around for many years,’’ bin Ladin, a 54-year-old Saudi citizen said. Subsequent events led him to choose his more discreet first name instead, and with Yeslam, ‘‘a profound yet gentle message in a bottle for all who long for inner peace’’, he hopes to prove that not all bin Ladins are alike.
Bin Ladin grew up as a sort of anti-Osama, steeped in materialism while his distant half-brother steered toward the spiritual and austere. He is a man whose main accomplishments are mostly recreational — he paints, skis and pilots his own plane and is a ranked tennis player in Switzerland.
He registered Bin Ladin as a trademark in Switzerland in March 2001, and in many other countries across Europe and Southeast Asia. He intended to register it in the US, but September 11 quashed any hope of using the family name. ‘‘I waited three years and decided I have to continue my life,’’ he said. ‘‘It has nothing to do with politics.’’
Bin Ladin says he has not been to Saudi Arabia since 1987 and has not seen Osama since then— the family has disowned its terrorist kinsman.
He recently introduced the perfume at an industry convention in Cannes and hopes to have 60,000 bottles in European and West Asian stores by the end of the year. ‘‘I would love to launch it in the US,’’ he said, then asked with a tentative smile. ‘‘What do you think the reaction would be?’’ —NYT
